Taking the Map
by veiledbride
Summary: Harry finds out that the Marauders Map has been taken. Ginny helps him punish the culprit.
1. Chapter 1

The clock could be heard ticking in the background as the utensils clicked against the plates. Ginny and Harry sat in silence as they ate their dinner. Harry glanced up at his wife every so often, with a rather anxious expression on his face. Ginny set down her knife and fork and sat back in her chair to observe her husband. She sighed when he looked at her.

"If you're so worried about it, why don't you do something about it?" He looked at her and shrugged.

"We'll hear about it in the letter I told the kids to write us. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Ginny nodded her head, but she knew that both of them were aware that no letter would be coming. "You know…. We would be the first parents to know…Then we could floo Ron and Hermione and tell them about Hugo…"

Harry grinned at his wife's suggestion. "I think you have a very good idea… Shall I?" Ginny giggled at her husband. "Of course! I want to know what house Lily got into! Go get it!"

Harry leapt up from his chair and bounded off towards his office. He and Ginny had used the Marauders Map after James and Albus had gone to school, allowing them to see what house their sons had been sorted into before a letter could be sent to them. They were anxious to know where Lily had been sorted. When Harry reached his office, he opened the door and approached his desk, sitting down behind it. He took out his wand and cast a spell to undo the charms he had placed on a particular drawer. When he heard the locks click open, he pulled out the drawer and rummaged around for something. He sifted through several papers, before reaching the bottom.

He leafed through the papers on his desk, not finding what he was looking for. He frowned at the lack of his object. "Ginny! Have you seen the Map?" He heard his wife faintly reply from below. "Isn't it in your drawer?"

"I thought it was!" he yelled back. Harry opened all of his other drawers and dumped their contents onto his desk. He madly searched through everything in front of him, but failed to find the Marauders Map. He looked up at his wife as she entered into the room. "I can't find it anywhere! I know that I locked it up in this drawer…" Harry tapered off, a look of deep thought crossing his face. He looked up at his wife. "You don't think…"

Before she could respond, Harry was waving his wand over his desk, muttering spells to himself. The tip of his wand glowed when his wand reached the locked drawer. "I'm going to kill him!" Harry shouted, making Ginny jump.

"Did James take it?" she casually asked. Harry gave her a confused look. "Why would you say that? Do you know something I don't?"

Ginny looked at him coyly. "I may have overheard him talking to George, and George telling him about a map he had given to you at Hogwarts. I think James may have gone searching for it, judging by the lack of map."

Harry sighed. "What are we going to do with that kid?" Ginny came over to her husband's desk and sat down on it.

"What did you expect from a boy who's a quarter Marauder and half Weasley? A good boy who doesn't like getting in trouble? I think you're crazy!"

Harry chuckled. "Well how are we going to let him know we found out he took it?"

Ginny flashed her husband a devilish smile. "A Howler?"

Harry grinned at her. "I think you should be the one to do it." Ginny looked taken aback at his statement. "Why do you say that?"

A dreamy expression came onto Harry's face. "If I do remember correctly, a yelling Weasley really makes a nice impression in a place like the Great Hall…"

Ginny grinned at the memory. "I'll get right on that…" She jumped off the desk and went to go create a letter that her son would not soon forget.

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Hope you enjoyed! Leave me a review and tell me what you thought!


	2. Chapter 2

I had a lot of requests asking to hear what happened with James when he got the letter, so I wrote another chapter. Hope you enjoy!

I don't own Harry Potter or the wonderful world that JK Rowling has created.

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James Potter slid down the banister of the last set of stairs on the Grand Staircase. When he reached the end, he soared through the air, and lightly landed on his feet. Applause erupted from the few students milling about in the Entrance Hall. He bowed at his audience, earning him some laughter and pats on the back in congratulation.

James grinned. Today was going to be an excellent day. He had a brilliant plan, all thanks to that map his Uncle George had told him about. Why his father had never told him about it was a mystery to him. All the things he could have done if he had gotten that map sooner. He thought that the Marauders were brilliant, whoever they were. He couldn't understand why his father wouldn't have wanted him to enrich his education with that map!

James strolled into the Great Hall, recalling all that he had witnessed the night before. He watched as Filch slowly walked the third floor, his cat, Ms. Harris, lurking behind him. He saw that Scorpius Malfoy couldn't sleep, and paced the common room. Git. But best of all were all the passage ways out of Hogwarts. His mission today was to find the one on the first floor. He didn't know where it led, but he felt like he might end up taking an early Hogsmeade trip today.

When he got into the Great Hall, he strutted over to the Gryffindor table, hoping he might catch the eye of that pretty Ravenclaw he had his eyes on. He was disappointed when he saw she was engrossed in a conversation with her friends. Maybe he could use the map to find her when she was alone so they could talk….hmm the map was more helpful than he imagined!

He approached the Gryffindor table and scanned along it, looking for his friends. He found them and slid into the seat beside his friend John. "Pass me the eggs Johnny! Got a big day ahead of me. I need all the nourishment I can get!" John passed him the food, while Lachlan looked at James over the book he was reading. "I can presume that you've found a way to get into trouble, yes?"

James gave him a grin, his cheeks bulging with food. "Naturally. You worry too much. You need to learn how to live a little." Lachlan rolled his eyes and gave him an exasperated sigh. John looked at James with admiration. "What do you have in mind? Can I tag along?" he said excitedly. James smiled at him and began to respond when a loud voice interrupted him. "James is getting into trouble without me! Impossible!" James' best friend Sebastian snatched a piece of bacon from James' plate and sat in the spot beside him. James tried to tell him about his plans, when he was once again interrupted.

"James! You idiot! Did you forget something?" a voice behind him yelled. James sighed. "Can't a guy get the chance to talk?" He twisted around in his seat to come face to face with an infuriated Albus and a teary-eyed Lily. "So," Albus said "did you forget something, or should I say, someone?" James screwed his face up trying to remember if he had forgotten something. Then it hit him.

"Oh no!" he groaned. "Lily, I'm so sorry! I forgot to take you down to breakfast!"

Albus gave his brother a glare that reminded him of his mother. "I found her wandering around the sixth floor!" Sebastian was roaring with laughter. "Really James? You forgot your sister? Classic!" James shrugged and gave his brother a sheepish grin. "I don't know why Mum and Dad didn't ask you to show her around. You're the responsible one."

"They won't be happy when they find out!" Albus stated, before grabbing Lily's hand and ushering her off to a seat further down the table. James felt bad about forgetting, but he was too distracted about what he had planned for the day. He was about to explain the map when he was interrupted once again, this time by the flapping of wings.

The owl post was arriving, and James searched for his owl Percy. His uncle hadn't found it funny, but his parents had agreed that his owl did have certain qualities like Percy Weasley. He spotted him, but saw he was lagging behind the rest of the owls. James thought this odd, as Percy usually liked to be first, and grew alarmed when he saw Percy's letter was slightly smoking.

When it dropped in front of him, James froze when he saw what was in front of him. "NO NO NO NO!" he shrieked. They had found out! James jumped up from the table and grabbed the letter, but it burst into flames and he immediately dropped it back onto the table. A scream erupted from the letter, and James knew there was no chance of escape now.

"JAMES POTTER! HOW DARE YOU TAKE YOUR FATHER'S MAP! IT WAS NOT YOURS TO TAKE! DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT MAP AT ALL, UNDERSTOOD? YOU HAD BETTER NOT DO ANYTHING THAT GETS YOU INTO TROUBLE OR WE WILL COME AND PICK YOU UP OURSELVES! NOT ONE TOE OUT OF LINE!"

With that, the Howler tore itself up, and the pieces floated to the table. Silence had blanketed the Great Hall, but with Ginny Potter's voice still ringing in their ears, the Hall erupted into a roar of laughter.

James sank into his seat, his face a brilliant shade of red. Sebastian patted him on the back. "Well done mate!" he chuckled. "Tell me what you did!" James looked down at his siblings who were howling with laughter.

His day had gone from being full of great plans, and now everything was wrong. He would never live this down… Maybe a day in the common room wouldn't be so bad… Yeah that sounded good. He slowly rose from his seat, in shock at what had just happened, and walked out of the Great Hall and planned to spend a quiet, trouble free day, away from everyone else.

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Neville Longbottom sat at the Head Table and watched as James Potter slunk out of the Great Hall. He chuckled at what had just taken place. He excused himself and went off to his office. He had promised to write to Harry and Ginny to tell them what happened after they had informed him about the Howler.

As he sat down to write, he was struck by the memory of another Howler he had once heard. Nothing was more impressive than hearing an angry Weasley mother yelling at her son in the Great Hall.

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Hope you enjoyed it! Did you see what I did with James and his friends? Let me know if you figured it out!


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